Friction draft-gear.



2 SHEETS-BHBBT l H. C. PRIEBE. FRIGTION DRAFT GEAR. APPLIOATION FILED Nov. 27, 1912.

H. C. PRIBBE. FEIGTION DRAFT GEAR. APPLIUATION FILED Nov. 27, 1912.

Patented June 3, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HERMAN C. PRIEBE, OF BLUE ISLAND, ILLINOIS.,

FBICTION DRAFT-GEAR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 3, 1913.

Application led November 27, 1912. Serial No. 733,826.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be itknown that I, HERMAN C. PRIEBE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Blue Island, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, `have invented a certain new and useful Improvementin Friction Draft-Gear, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the acompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciication.

My invention relates to friction draft gears employed for joining cars in a train and, in one of its embodiments, it includes a coupler stem, a sheet of spring metal wound spirally into the form of a cylinder with overlapping layers thereof in frictional engagement, this cylinder being so disposed as to hareits bore substantially 'horizontal and substantially longitudinal of the line of draft of the gear, and cylinder contracting' mechanism subject to draft strains and operable by draft strains of suicient strength to contract said cylinder to produce friction. The invention in another of its embodiments includes, as a part of the friction producing means, alined volute springs and mechanism for preserving the alinement of these springs so that the coils of each will not ride over the coils of the other.

My invention has other objects and advantages which will fully appear in connection with the accompanying drawings showing the preferred embodiments thereof and in which drawings- Figure 1 is a sectional plan view of one form of draft gear constructed in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional view on line 2'2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a part of the structure illustrated in Figs. 1,2 and 3 and which element also is included in the other embodiment of the invention illustrated; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a structural part illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3; Fig. 6 is a sectional plan view of another form of the invention; Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line 7 7 of Fig. 6; and Fig'. `8 is a sectional view on line 8 8 of Fig. 7.

Like parts are indicated 'by similar characters of reference throughout the different figures.

The friction draft gear shown in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive includes a coupler'having a shank 1 in normally Xed relation with re` spect tothe key 2 which for the purpose may be passed through a slot in the shank. This key is capable of movement from its normal position either forward or backward accordingly as the coupler shank is pulled or pushed, the key passing through slots 3 in center sills 4 that constltute the preferred form of draft gear support, this support bcn ing connected with the car or other vehicle body. The coupler yoke includes two side members 6 that are preferably joined by an integral end wall o r connection 7, though the invention is not togbe limited to this characteristic. The freek ends of the coupler yoke are provided with slots 8 at the forward ends of which the key plate 2 is normally positioned. A key' plate 9 is normally in engagementwith the forward sides of the slots 10 in the coupler yoke and `the key 11 is in fixed relation with the coupler yoke. The key plate 11 passes through slots l 12in the center sills which are sutiicient-ly elongated to permit the key plate to move forwardly andthe key plate 9 passes through slots 13 in the center sills to permit this key plate to 4move rearwardly. The rear end of the vyo-ke structure 7, 8 is formed with a conically shaped seat 14. while the key plate 9 passes through a horizontal slot provided in a block 15 having a conically shaped seat 16.

The seats 14 and 16 are cosaXial and disposed horizontally longitudinally of the line of draft, each flaring toward the other. A plurality of wedging elements are preferably entered within each conical'seat 14, 16, these wedging elements being desirably formed in pairs, the members of each pair 4 being preferably made in one integral casing as indicated at 17. There are preferably four structures 17 distributed about the axis f the gear and suificient spacingintervenes between adjacent elements 17 as to .permit the adjacent faces of the seats or pockets 11 and 16 to be brought together, when the gear is under sufficient strain, without occasioning forcible engagement between the elements 17.

The seats or pockets 14, 16 are desirably provided with grooves 18 located in planes that include the longitudinal axis of the gear andfreceiving ribs 19v provided upon the wedging elements 17 so that these wedging elements are not likely to become twisted as they move in their seats and also to preserve them in proper relative positions. The

wedging elements 17 are employed to operate a suitable friction producing device and.

in the preferred form of my invention, this friction producing device is constructed of a sheet 'of spring steel wound spirally into the form of a cylinder placed to have its bore horizontal and longitudinal of the gear and the car having the gear with the overlapping layers thereof in frictional contact, expansion of the spring laterally of the longitudinal aXis of the gear being such as to keep the wedging blocks 17 in their farthest positions permitted by the .pockets 14 and 16 irrespective of the degree of separation of said pockets. When the coupler yoke is subjected to a suiiicient pull the pocket 14 is moved forwardly to cause the wedge blocks 17 mutually to approach thereby to reduce the diameter of the cylinder 20, frictionbeing produced between the overlapping layers of the spring cylinder asv the diameter of this cylinder is reduced and also between the exteriorsurface of the cylinder and the wedging blocks 17. Friction is also produced between the blocks 17 and both pockets 14 and 16 as the wedging elements 17 a're caused mutually to approach since the wedging elements 17 are, in the operation being described, projected within the pocket 16. When the coupler yoke is sufficiently relieved of its pull the spring cylinder 20 will expand owing to its own resilience and in expanding will thrust the wedging elements 17 apart to the extent which is vpermitted by the pockets 14 and 16 in separating. When the coupler yoke is subjected to a suiiicient push the key plate 9 is moved to the rear to push thepocket 16 toward the pocket 14 whereupon the steel spring cylinder 20 and the wedging devices 1 operate in the manner before described excepting that the wedging elements 17 are forced by the pocket 16 into the pocket 14. The ribs 19 are desirably continued over the ends of the wedging elements 17 so as to form hooks 191 that engage the ends of the spring cylinder 20 so as to maintain cooperative relation between the spring cylinder 20 and the wedging blocks 17 irrespective of the position of the wedgin'g blocks. Volute friction producing springs 21 may be disposed longitudinally of the gear and are .engaged by the key plates 9 and 11, respectively, a floating separating plate 22 being disposed between adjacent ends of the alined volute springs to prevent the coils of one from riding upon the coils of the other. The plate 22 is desirably positioned by being provided with central lugs 23 .upon opposite sides of the plate, these central lugs entering the bores of the alined volute springs 21 to maintain these springs in alinement.

v The structure illustrated in Figs. 6, 'Tand 8 dispenses with'the volute springs 21 and uses the alined coiled springs 241 instead. These alined springs 241V enter abutting spring barrels 251 that are provided with outwardly extending hooks 261 to engage the ends of the spring cylinder 201 whereby the spring barrels are maintained in central position with respect to the element` 201. In the structures of Figs. 6, 7 and 8 there are included the xpocketed members 141 and 161 and the wedging elements 171 which cooperate with'each other and with ythe spring cylinder 201 as described in connection with Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, the wedging element 171 beingv of the form shown in Fig. 4 while the seat -port-ions of the pocketed elements 141 and-161 are similarv 1n construction to the correspondingly designated parts in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, except-ing that in the structure of Figs. 6, 7 and 8 thebases of the pockets 141 and 161 are provided with mutually approached lugs 271 that enter the bores of the springs 241. In the structure of Figs. 6 to 8, inclusive, the coupler shank 11 is provided with the commoner typevof coupler yoke 281 in the form of a simple strap, illustrated most. clearly in Fig7 7, and when suc-h a form of'coupler yoke is employed the pocketed portions 141 and 161 are provided with follower plate bases 4291 which engage the vertical sides or ends of the coupler yoke (Fig. 7 )A when there is insufficient pulling or pushing strainto cause the approach of one pocketed element toward the other, the follower plate portions 291 then being in engagement with cheek plates 301 mounted upon the center sills so that either follower plate -is held in fixed relation with the center sills when the other is to be forced toward the same upon sufficient increase in pulling 'or buliing strains as the case may be. The seats or pockets 141, 161 are desirably provided with grooves 181 located in planes that include the longitudinal axis of the gear and receiving the ribs 192 provided upon the wedging elements 171 sothat these wedging elements are not likely to become twisted as they move in their seats and also to preserve them in proper relative positions. The ribs 192 are desirably continued over the ends of the wedging elements 171 so as to form hooks similar to the hooks 191 of Figs. 1 to 4 that engage the ends of the spring cylinder 201 so as to maintain cooperative relation between the spring cylinder 201 and the wedging blocks 171 irrespective of the position of the wedging block.

In View of the description which has been given in connection with the structure shown by Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, furtherdescription of the structure shown in Figs. 6 to 8, inclusive, will not be required as similarly designated parts have similar functions.

While I have herein shown and particularly described the preferred embodiment of the invention I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction shown as changes may readily be made without departing from the spirit thereof, but

Having thus described my invention I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent the followingz-- l. A friction draft gear including a com pler stem; a sheet of spring metal wound spirally into the form of a cylinder with overlapping layers thereof in frictional engagement, this cylinder bei-ng sol disposed as to have its, bore substantia 1y horizontal and substantially longitudinal of the line of draft ofthe gear; and cylinder contract- -ing mechanism. subject to draft strains of suiiicient strength to contract said cylinder to produce friction, said cylinder contracting mechanism including Haring seats between which said cylinder is disposed and wedging blocks entering said seats and en gagi'ng the exterior of said cylinder.

2. A friction draft gear including a coupler stem; substantially co-axial conical -seats substantially horizontally disposed longitudinally of the line of draft, one seat being movable toward the other by the stem when subject. to sufficient pull and the other seat being movable towardV74 the first men-v i tioned one by the stem when subject' to suiiicient push; Wedging elements entering said.

seats; and movable therein transversely of the line of draft, and friction producing means operated by the wedgngy elements.

3. A friction -draft gear including a coui tioned one by the stem when subject to suiiicient push; and spaced apart Vfriction producing'means operated by the wedging elements, said seats and wedging elements having interengaging formations to maintain the wedgng element-s in separated relation.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 25th day of November A. D.,

HERMAN C. PRIEBE. Witnesses:

E. L. WHITE, G. L. CRAGG. 

